


Face Paint and Lions

by SassyLassy



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Humanstuck, One-Sided Attraction, Other, circustuck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-26
Updated: 2014-07-26
Packaged: 2018-02-10 13:03:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2026095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SassyLassy/pseuds/SassyLassy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Inspired by my good friend Idefix's little alternate universe where Gamzee is a clown in the Great Egbert Circus, and Tavros is the lion tamer. Here we see Gamzee, again, trying to capture the attention of the other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Face Paint and Lions

The Great Egbert Circus.

It was a renown circus which traveled across the country, and had been doing so for many years now. The establishment had been handed from father to son ever since the late 1800’s, and had managed to remain in business despite world wars, and the great depression. After all, everyone needs something to capture their attention and distract them from the hum drum life that normality offered them.

A young man stood in his trailer, and it just so happened today was the young man’s first foray into being the ring master of the circus. His father was the owner, and like his father before him, he had been the ring master who announced the acts for all of the customers. He even got to wear a sweet top hat, with a nice blue jacket with tails. It was all so very fancy, to be sure.

But this wasn’t really his story, though he certainly had a big part to do with it. I mean, without him, eventually taking on the role of the owner of the famous circus, where would all of the stories that took place under the big top happen?

The circus had been open for business since midday. There were all sorts of side show attractions to capture people’s attention once Kankri had lured them in with his proclamations of wonderful sights, acts of disbelief wonders that would blow their minds. Like any travelling circus there were little games of chance, where you could throw balls at targets in hopes of winning toys, and other such things.

Karkat had just finishing setting up his stall when the first wave of ‘pigeons’ came flocking in through the entrance way. How such an ill tempered man put up with the shouting and spoiled children who tried out at his hoop game was a miracle in of itself. 

"Yeah yeah take your turn kid. Try your luck, all that jazz and—hey. HEY! HEY YOU LITTLE—"

He had just spotted some brazen teenager trying to make off with a plush from Terezi’s stall. The blind woman turned her head at hearing Karkat screaming, since it suddenly and rapidly approached her. Karkat reached the would be thief and grabbed him by the wrist, yanking him back, and tugged the bear out of his arms. “Nice try shit for brains.” 

"What all be happening here?" Meeah, a spunky woman who wore a nice shiny badge with ‘security’ on it walked up to the stall as Karat shoved the toy into Terezi’s outstretched hands. "Got ourselves another would be thief do we, making of with the goods?"

"Attempted thief." Karkat snarled, shoving the teen towards Meenah. 

"Hey I didn’t—"

"Shut it kid, we got ourselves eyewitness account right here and we don’t take none of that around here!"

The travelling sounds of the argument could be heard from a certain, colorful trailer that had been set up behind the stalls. It had bright, cheerful polka dots that riddled its hull, and it gave a distinct ‘clown’ air when you approached it. Sitting within this trailer was Gamzee Makara. He’d been a clown with this circus since he was a teenager himself, along with his older brother Kurloz who, like him, continued the proud tradition of being a circus clown. They were two of many, of course, but this story mostly focused on the youngest Makara.

Looking up at the mirror on his vanity he spotted his brother behind him, good thing too since he’d been just about to start trying to get his attention. You see, Kurloz was mute. Had been so since birth and had turned this into almost a gift with his clowning, using a bit of mime tricks with his work.

"Yeah what do you want?" Gamzee asked, turning to look at him since he couldn’t really read sign language in reverse.

Kurloz signed to him. ‘Didn’t you want to go to the ring earlier today? To watch you know who?' All this he signed with a smug little grin on his face.

"Shut the fuck up mother fucker." blushed Gamzee as he turned away quickly, looking over his clown make up one last time. Of course it was perfectly placed, he’d been doing it long enough. Hell, he could do his face paint in the dark.

He could see his brother signing to him still but he pointedly ignored it. Kurloz knew how to touch his buttons, as any older brother would, and as soon as he’d found out his brother had a thing for the lion tamer he’d gone to town in riding his ass about it.

But how could Gamzee resist? 

Grabbing his hat he pulled it over his purple dyed hair and headed for the door. Already there was the mental images dancing in his mind of Tavros, standing there in his incredibly fancy, and sexy, lion tamer outfit. The vest, the open jacket, his bow tie, that little top hat he wore and how he plaited his mo-hawk so a bow always settled just at the base of his head. And those eyes, good heavens… those deep, brown, beautiful eyes that Gamzee could literally loose himself in if he dared look at them long enough.

What was equally wonderful about Tavros Nitram, on top of his good looks, he was so easy to talk to. He was kind, though a little withdrawn from time to time, but he had a great control of himself and the powerful beasts he handled. Oh and how he handled them. He never used a whip, ever, since it was cruel. The animals actually trusted him, loved him even, since Gamzee had never seen the lions so taken with a person before. They acted like over grown house cats more than powerful, deadly beasts who in the wild would bring down a man like Tavros in seconds.

Gamzee recalled one late night, when he’d forgotten his juggling clubs in the second tent. He’d gone in to find them and to surprise, came across Tavros sleeping among the pride of lions that the circus had. The big lady cats slept against one another, and one lion, and there in the middle of them was Tavros. It had been one of the most precious, and most bad ass, things he’d ever seen and had only accelerated his feelings for this lion tamer.

Stepping into the big tent today however, there was no sleeping lion pile. What he did see was Tavros with the male lion, named Biscuit (of all things to name a lion), running a thick brush through the giant cat’s mane. 

Gamzee smiled, and opened his mouth to say something but stopped. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted a unicycle. What better way to capture Tavros’ attention than showing him just what he could do? And what lug, some poor clown had left his juggling clubs too! Quickly the clown dashed over and grabbed the things, before setting up.

He got onto the unicycle, and began to slowly wheel his way forward. Soon as he got a good momentum going he began to throw the juggling clubs, three at once, and proceeded to juggle. God damn he was good at what he did, if he did say so himself! Now all he needed was for Tavros to glance over at him, and he’d be oh so mother fucking impressed!

He watched as Tavros continued to pamper the giant cat, now the majority of the brushing done he stroked the top of the lion’s head. Tavros was talking to it, cooing in a way people did to their pets. But still, even if it was cute, it was now a little annoying since here Gamzee was showing off his balancing and juggling act.

"Hey Tav!" he called out, finally, eyes locked on the lion tamer. "Tav! Tav, look! Check this mother fucker! Tav!"

So wrapped up was he in wanting to catch the others attention he didn’t notice his unicycle had rode itself right into one of the little seats that the lions would sit on. His wheel hit it, and gravity took hold of Gamzee, cutting him off mid sentence, and slammed him down onto the ground.

It was only at that, the sound of the crash, and Gamzee’s loud exclamation of ‘Fuck!’ that had Tavros’ head turn to look at the fallen clown. There laid Gamzee, face down, embarrassed and ashamed of himself. Fists clenched, digging down into the soft dirt under foot, un-moving.

"You should really be more careful, Gamzee…" Tavros said, unable to leave Biscuit too unattended in case he took off after something bright and shiny. 

"Motherfucking shit of course he looks now." Gamzee thought, shame welling up in the pit of his stomach. Every time something like this happened. Whenever he tried to get Tavros to notice him in a way that would show how great he was as a clown, as a person in general, Tavros’ attention would be caught by something else or Gamzee would end up feet over head in embarrassment. Now it was literal.

Tavros approached, leading Biscuit by the mane, and bent down to reach a hand out to Gamzee. “Gamzee?” he asked, “are you okay—”

"I’m fine!" Gamzee got up quickly, dirt caking his clothes and face, smearing his well adjusted face paint. "Take more than a fall to knock this mother fucker around."

"Oh Gamzee, your face…" Tavros frowned, since a little bit of blood was running from a cut on his forehead. "You better go to first aid before that gets infected…"

Gamzee immediately put a hand to his forehead, frowning a little. He turned away, mumbling a ‘yeah sure’ and hurried out of the tent, abandoning the unicycle and juggling clubs where they’d fallen. They could wait till he came back, or Kurloz could grab them, or any other of the clowns who lived with the circus.

They no loner mattered, now. 

His chance had been blown once more and the shame, and embarrassment was so powerful his blush was almost visible through his smeared face paint.

Strike… strike who knows. He’d stopped counting by now.


End file.
